Supercooling boolits for hardening

[sheepdog]

Anyone tried adding extra arsenic with lead shot to standard wheel weights and added something colder then a icebox freezer to rapidly cool them. I have free access to plenty of dryice, wondered if dropping fresh boolits in a pile of it would give me little rockhard gems or just blowup.

[kawalekm]

Since the dry ice is a solid surface, the bullets might cool unevenly. I'd suggest a dry-ice alcohol bath instead. I've made a ethanol bath with dry ice in it to freeze things very quickly.

For sure though, whatever method you choose, you'll be attracting a lot of attention as the dry ice fog billows out your garage door.

[snaggdit]

Question, dropping 600 degree boolits into ethanol... Wise idea? I know the CO2 should inhibit combustion, but...

[Ole]

Question, dropping 600 degree boolits into ethanol... Wise idea? I know the CO2 should inhibit combustion, but...

You bring up a valid point.

He could reduce/eliminate any hazard of fire by using something 40% or less in ethanol.

30-40% ethanol in water still has a pretty dang low freezing point.

Another option would be to use prestone anti freeze mixed with water.

[sheepdog]

Ok I just tried a mix of dry ice crushed in a fine grain form and casted a few. Wow talk about some unsettling noises. Like the sound of wisdom teeth being crushed n a mechanical press. But these puppies are haaaaard like cast iron.

[cmkiefer]

OK, so how hard? What was your alloy? And what exactly does it sound like when your wisdom teeth are crushed in a vise? (That sent a shiver down my spine!)

[Tom W.]

That thought isn't even polite...

But the Dry Ice... I take some at the place where I work and rub it on wet stainless steel, and it screams like a banshee.....

[troy_mclure]

i like to put a few chunks of dry ice in a soda bottle with a bit of water. put on the lid and chuck.

[sheepdog]

OK, so how hard? What was your alloy? And what exactly does it sound like when your wisdom teeth are crushed in a vise? (That sent a shiver down my spine!)

I got no tester. I put in a muffin of WW alloy, a tablespoon of lead shot scrap I got out at the range, and about 6 inches of lead free solder. Got the pot up to about 9.5 on the dial, cast and dropped after 10 seconds in the mold. I tried bending with pliers, has a very zinc like stiffness to it. Wicked stuff, very porous though, might not be safe to shoot. If someones got a tester I'll mail it to you for a reading.

On the sound imagine a really dry old bone you'd throw the family dog. Put it in a wise on one side and twist it slowly with vise grips til it spiral cracks. Thats pretty much what it sounded like. Very unnerving.

[jdgabbard]

I can see this going in very dangerous places....

[Ricochet]

Or just put a vise on your wisdom teeth and tighten till they crack.

[leftiye]

Rick, Now that's gotta be the definition of an unpofitable gains to losses ratio! (PC for not worth doing?)

[Tom W.]

My wisdom teeh ( along with the rest) have been confiscated some years ago by a guy with glasses and a white lab coat... I have no idea where they are..